Arrest may result in NHLer being denied entry into Canada
Edmonton Oilers Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was found guilty last week of extreme DUI, excessive speeding and a blood alcohol level of .164, which is more than twice the legal limit. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail by the judge in an Arizona courtroom, where the crime took place in February.
A month, or 30 days in jail, is the minimum sentence for the offences, and Khabibulin has also been ordered to attend a treatment program along with paying fines of over $5,000. While 30 days in jail is the minimum sentence in the United States, jail times of that extent are rarely given out for similar crimes in Canada.
Despite this, one major issue for Khabibulin, born in Russia, is that the impaired driving offences in question are punishable under the Criminal Code, which made him criminally inadmissible to Canada under Canadian immigration law as soon as he was convicted. He is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, so it might make things difficult.
Khabibulin’s lawyer filed an appeal immediately after the sentence was handed down, but if the appeal is denied, he may be able to apply for a Temporary Resident Permit (or TRP) in order to be admitted to Canada. TRPs are usually difficult to get and are approved in exceptional cases.
However, according to Global News the fact that his employer is supporting him, the fact that Khabibulin did not injure or kill someone and that it was his first offence can work in his favour when immigration officials determine the advantages to letting him back into Canada.
Denied entry into Canada? Contact Niren and Associates immigration law firm.
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President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
